Container



1962 c. M. EINHORN 3,051,367

CONTAINER Filed Oct. 13, 1960 3 42 i 41 I i I:

i 5 a z i 0 15 JNVENTOR. 53 C/MKCQWZ6M'Z1/70 20 BY M C 40 @7707/72United rates Patent 3,051,367 CONTAINER Clarence M. Einhorn, Atlanta,Ga., assignor, by mesue assignments, to Armour and Company, Chicago,111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 13, 1960, Ser. No. 62,202 3Claims. (Cl. 229-14) This invention relates to improved containers.

'It is an object of this invention to provide an improved containerconstructed so that it is reclosed in substantially the same way as itwas originally closed. It is another object of this invention to providean improved container which may be opened without injuring any of thecomponent parts of the container. It is also an object of this inventionto provide a container with increased strength so the containers may bestacked upon each other. Another object is to reduce bulging of thefront and back of the container. It is still another object to fortifythe corners of the container. It is a further object of this inventionto provide a container which will prevent powdered or granularmaterials, enclosed within the container, from sifting therefrom whenthe container is being subjected to vibrations. It is still anotherobject of this in vention to provide a container which is moisture-proofso that hygroscopic material, enclosed within the container, will notcontact moist air. It is also an object to prevent the escape ofmoisture from moist material enclosed Within the container. It is afurther object to prevent the escape of odors from material enclosedwithin the container. It is a still further object of this invention toprovide a container which may be closed by one operator without thenecessity of additional expensive equipment. Further objects andpurposes of this invention will become obvious as the specificationproceeds.

FIGURE 1 of the drawings is a perspective view of the first stage ofassembly of the container. FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the secondstage of assembly of the container. FIGURE 3 is a perspective view ofthe following stage of assembly. FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of thecontainer in the closed position. IFIGURE 5 is a broken section view ofthe side of the container. FIGURE .6 is a broken section view along line-66 of FIGURE 4. FIGURE 7 is an enlarged broken side section view of thetop rear corner of the container.

Generally, this invention is an improved container which comprises anouter container 10; a liner 12, liner 12 being positioned interior toouter container 10; and a flexible container 14 having a lower portion15 and an upper portion 16, lower portion-15 being positioned interiorto outer container 10 and liner 12, and upper portion 16 beingpositioned between liner 12 and outer container 10.

Outer container 10 comprises generally a base 17, front side 18, firstside 19, rear side 20, second side 21, and cover 11. Cover 11 ishingeably attached to rear side 20 along scored line 22 and is adaptedto rotate from the open position to a closed position. Tuck 23 ishingeably attached to cover 11 along scored line 24 and is adapted to bepositioned substantially normal to cover 11 when the container isclosed. First flap 25 is attached to first side 19 along scored line 26and to cover 11 along scored line 27. Second flap 28 is attached tosecond side 21 along scored line 44, to cover 11 along scored line 30.First flap 25 is scored along line 31 and second flap 28 is scored alongline 32 so that as cover 11 is rotated to the closed position, sideflaps 25 and '28 will naturally fold under cover 11. It should bementioned here that other conventional types of flaps could be used. Forexample, side flaps used on many types of containers are attached onlyto the sides and not to the cover. However, the flaps illustrated in thedrawings are preferred since they facilitate ice the closing of cover11, they strengthen cover 11, and they also eliminate a raw edge oncover 11.

Outer container 10 may be constructed of any material conventionallyused for containers of this type. It is preferred that a cardboard orpaper board type of material be used. However, the type of material usedis not intended to be a limitation of the scope of this invention.

Liner 12, as illustrated in the drawings, comprises generally a rearwall 33, a bottom 34, a front wall 35, and a top 13. Top 13 is hingeablyattached to front wall 35 along scored line 36 and is adapted to rotatefrom an open position to a closed position. The dimensions of liner 12should preferably be such that it will fit snugly, not loosely ortightly, within outer container 10. Top 13 of liner 12 should be adaptedto rest on the upper edge 37 of rear wall 33. It is preferred that thedistance between scored line 22 and scored line 24 of outer container 10be approximately equal to the distance between front wall 35 and rearedge 38 of top 13. The embodiment of liner 12 illustrated in thedrawings shows that there are openings only on two sides. However, it isto be understood that liner 12 could be closed on all four sides withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of this invention.

Liner 12 may also be constructed of any relatively rigid material, suchas fiber board, paper board, or cardboard. However, it is preferred thatliner 12 be constructed of a corrugated material. The material used isnot intended to be a limitation of the scope of this invention.

Flexible container 14 comprises generally a lower portion 15 and anupper portion 16. Lower portion 15 is that part of the flexiblecontainer 14 which is completely enclosed by liner 12 and outercontainer 10. Upper portion 16 is generally the remainder of theflexible container 14. Flexible container 14 has an opening 39 in theupper portion. Dimensionally, flexible container 14 is designed so thatwhen filled with contents 40, lower portion 15 should contact the bottom34 and walls 33 and 35 of liner 12, and first side 19 and a second side21 of outer container 10. When liner 12 has four sides, flexiblecontainer 14 will contact all four sides. The height of flexiblecontainer 14 should be such that after the closure is made, upperportion 16 of flexible container 14 is positioned between top 13 ofliner 12 and cover 11 of outer container "10.

Flexible container 12 may be constructed of any flexible material, suchas paper, foil or plastic, but in order to fulfill all the objects aspreviously set out, it is preferred that the material be moisture proof.Moisture proof polyethylene film has been found to be particularlysatisfactory.

Now that the component parts of the container have been described, theco-action of these parts and the advantages derived therefrom will beexplained. Referring to FIGURE 1, liner 12 is inserted into outercontainer 10 so that scored line 36 of liner 12 is adjacent to upperedge 29 of front side 18 of outer container 10. Liner 12 could beinserted so that scored line 36 would be adjacent to scored line 22without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. However,for ease of assembly, the embodiment illustrated is preferred. Referringto FIGURE 2, flexible container 14 is inserted into liner 12 as shown.For ease of assembly, it is preferred that flexible container 14 bepositioned within liner 12 and then both be positioned within outercontainer 10 at the same time. Referring to FIGURE 3, the container isnow ready to receive contents 40. For some contents, flexible container14 could conceivably first be filled and then inserted into liner 12 andouter container 10, but it is preferred that for most applications,flexible container 14 be filled after being positioned within liner 12and outer container 10. After the desired quantity of contents 40 hasbeen placed in flexible container 14, top 13 of liner 12 is closed byrotating in the direction shown by the arrow in FIGURE 3. Referring toFIGURE 5, top 13 is shown in dotted lines prior to being rotated, and-isshown in section lines after being rotated in the closed position. Theinitial closure of flexible container 14 is accomplished by squeezing,crushing or compressing the top part 41 of upper portion 16 betweenupper edge 37 and lower surface 42 of liner 12. After top 13 is closed,cover 11 of outer container 10 is rotated downward, and flaps 25 and 28of outer container 10 fold inwardly. Tuck 23 is inserted between frontwall 35 f liner 12 and front side 18 of outer container 10. Because ofthe dimensions. of cover 11 of outer container and top 13 of liner 12,the second seal of flexible container 14 is accomplished by squeezingbottom part 43 of upper portion 16 between rear edge 38 of top 13 'ofliner 12 and rear side 21} of outer container 10. The remainder of theupper portion 16 is positioned between cover 11 of outer container 10and top 13 0f liner 12. FIGURE 6 illustrates the internal appearance ofthe closed container and FIGURE 4 illustrates the external appearance ofthe closed container.

It should be readily apparent that the container of this invention hasmany advantages. For example, the consumer may open the container, use aportion, then reclose or reseal the container and still retain as good aseal as the original seal. No glue or heat seal is required to seal thiscontainer, which eliminates the necessity of additional expensiveequipment. Also, since the container may be opened without injuring anyof the component parts, the package will retain an attractive appearancerather than have an unsightly appearance due to tearing or ripping ofthe package. The liner 12 serves a dual function in that it not onlygives added strength to the container, but it also co-operates withouter container 10 in effecting a seal on the flexible container 14. Theresult of this invention is an attractive, sturdy, moisture-proof,sift-proof,.easily opened and easily reclosed container. This containeris particularly effective for packaging chemical and organicfertilizers, but it is also effective for packaging sugar, salt, etc.Also, non-granular materials, for example crackers, may readily bepackaged in my improved container. The package may be used for packagingany number of commodities.

It is to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to thespecific embodiments depicted in the drawings and specification; rather,it is intended that all equivalents obvious to those skilled in the artbe included within the scope of this invention.

Now that my invention has been described, what I claim is:

l. A container comprising an outer container having a front side, a rearside and a cover rotatably attached to the said rear side; a linerhaving a front wall, a rear wall, one of said walls having an upperedge, and a top rotatably attached to one of said walls, said top havinga lower surface and an edge, and said liner being positioned interior tosaid outer container so that said front wall is positioned adjacent tosaid front side; and a flexible container having a lower portion with atop part and an upper portion with -a bottom part, said lower portionbeing positioned interior to said outer container and said liner, thetop part of said lower portion being tightly positioned between saidlower surface and said upper edge, and said upper portion beingpositioned between said cover and said top and the bottom part of saidupper portion being tightly positioned between one of said sides and theedge of said top.

2. A container comprising an outer container having a front side, a rearside, and a cover rotatably attached to said rear side, said coverhaving a tuck; a liner having a front wall, a rear wall, one of saidwalls having an upper edge, and a top rotatably attached to one of saidwalls, said top having a lower surface and an edge and said liner beingpositioned interior to said outer container so that said front wall ispositioned adjacent to said front side; and a flexible container havinga lower portion with a top part and an upper portion with a bottom part,said lower portion being positioned interior to said outer container andsaid liner, the top part of said lower portion being tightly positionedbetween said lower surface and said upper edge, said upper portion beingpositioned between said top and said cover, and the bottom part of saidupper portion being tightly positioned between one of said sides and theedge of said top, and said tuck being positioned between said front sideand said front wall whereby the bottom part of said upper part ismaintained tightly between the edge of said top and one of said sides.

3. A container comprising an outer container having a front side and arear side; a liner having a front wall, a rear wall having an upper edgeand a top rotatably attached to said front wall, said top having a lowersurface and a rear edge, and said liner being positioned interior tosaid outer container sothat said front wall is positioned adjacent tosaid front side; and a flexible container having a lower portion with atop part and an upper portion with a bottom part; the top part of saidlower portion being tightly positioned between said lower surface andsaid upper edge and the bottom part of said upper portion being tightlypositioned between said rear edge and said rear side.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,228,647. Waters Jan. 14, 1941 2,335,913 Buttery Dec. 7, 1943 2,337,892Hultin Dec. 28, 1943

